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Lockheed C-5A Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force (USAF) with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many similarities to its smaller C-141 Starlifter predecessor, and the later C-17 Globemaster. The C-5 is among the largest military aircraft in the world. The C-5 Galaxy had a complicated development, significant cost overruns were experienced and Lockheed suffered significant financial difficulties. Shortly after entering service, fractures in the wings of many aircraft were discovered and the C-5 fleet were restricted in capability until corrective work was conducted. The C-5M Super Galaxy is an upgraded version with new engines and modernized avionics designed to extend its service life beyond 2040. The C-5 Galaxy has been operated by USAF since 1969. In that time, it has been used to support US military operations in all major contingencies including Vietnam, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan; as well as in support of allies, such as Israel during the Yom Kippur War and NATO operations in the Gulf War. The C-5 has also been used to distribute humanitarian aid and disaster relief, and in support of the US Space Shuttle program run by NASA. Development CX-X and Heavy Logistics System In 1961, several aircraft companies began studying heavy jet transport designs that would replace the Douglas C-133 Cargomaster and complement Lockheed C-141 Starlifters. In addition to higher overall performance, the United States Army wanted a transport aircraft with a larger cargo bay than the C-141, whose interior was too small to carry a variety of their outsized equipment. These studies led to the "CX-4" design concept, but in 1962 the proposed six-engine design was rejected, because it was not viewed as a significant advance over the C-141. By late 1963, the next conceptual design was named CX-X. It was equipped with four engines, instead of six engines in the earlier CX-4 concept. The CX-X had a gross weight of 550,000 pounds (249,000 kg), a maximum payload of 180,000 lb (81,600 kg) and a speed of Mach 0.75 (500 mph/805 km/h). The cargo compartment was 17.2 ft (5.24 m) wide by 13.5 feet (4.11 m) high and 100 ft (30.5 m) long with front and rear access doors."C-5 history." GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved: 20 January 2010. To provide required power and range with only four engines required a new engine with dramatically improved fuel efficiency. The criteria were finalized and an official request for proposal was issued in April 1964 for the "Heavy Logistics System" (CX-HLS) (previously CX-X). In May 1964, proposals for aircraft were received from Boeing, Douglas, General Dynamics, Lockheed, and Martin Marietta. General Electric, Curtiss-Wright, and Pratt & Whitney submitted proposals for the engines. After a downselect, Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed were given one-year study contracts for the airframe, along with General Electric and Pratt & Whitney for the engines.Norton 2003, pp. 8-9. All three of the designs shared a number of features; all three placed the cockpit well above the cargo area to allow for cargo loading through a nose door. The Boeing and Douglas designs used a pod on the top of the fuselage containing the cockpit, while the Lockheed design extended the cockpit profile down the length of the fuselage, giving it an egg-shaped cross section. All of the designs had swept wings, as well as front and rear cargo doors allowing simultaneous loading and unloading. Lockheed's design featured a T-tail, while the designs by Boeing and Douglas had conventional tails.Norton 2003, pp. 12–13. The Air Force considered Boeing's design better than that of Lockheed, although Lockheed's proposal was the lowest total cost bid.Norton 2003, p. 11. Lockheed was selected the winner in September 1965, then awarded a contract in December 1965.Erving 1993, pp. 189–190. General Electric's TF-39 engine was selected in August 1965 to power the new transport plane. At the time GE's engine concept was revolutionary, as all engines beforehand had a bypass ratio of less than two-to-one, while the TF-39 promised and would achieve a ratio of eight-to-one, which had the benefits of increased engine thrust and lower fuel consumption.Bakse 1995, pp. 39, 74.Phillips 2004, p. 127. Into production The first C-5A Galaxy (serial number ''66-8303) was rolled out of the manufacturing plant in Marietta, Georgia, on 2 March 1968.Veronico and Dunn 2004, p. 62. On 30 June 1968, flight testing of the C-5A began with the first flight, flown by Leo Sullivan, with the call sign "eight-three-oh-three heavy". Flight tests revealed that the aircraft exhibited a higher drag divergence Mach number than predicted by wind tunnel data. The maximum lift coefficient measured in flight with the flaps deflected 40 degree was higher than predicted (2.60 vs. 2.38), but was lower than predicted with the flaps deflected 25 degrees (2.31 vs. 2.38) and with the flaps retracted (1.45 vs. 1.52).Garrard, Wilfred C., "The Lockheed C-5 Case Study in Aircraft Design", AIAA Professional Study Series Aircraft weight was a serious issue during design and development. At the time of the first flight, the weight was below the guaranteed weight, but by the time of the delivery of the 9th aircraft, had exceeded guarantees. In July 1969, during a fuselage upbending test, the wing failed at 128% of limit load, which is below the requirement that it sustain 150% of limit load. Changes were made to the wing, but in a later test, in July 1970, it failed at 125% of limit load. A passive load reduction system, involving uprigged ailerons was incorporated, but the maximum allowable payload was reduced from 220,000 lbs to 190,000 lbs. At the time, it was predicted that there was a 90% probability that no more than 10% of the fleet of 79 airframes would reach their fatigue life of 19,000 hours without cracking of the wing. Cost overruns and technical problems of the C-5A were the subject of a congressional investigation in 1968 and 1969."Plane costs suppressed, Colonel says." Milwaukee Journal, 30 April 1969."C-5A Foe says Pentagon stripped him of duties." The New York Times, 18 November 1969. The C-5 program has the dubious distinction of being the first development program with a one billion dollar overrun.Garwood, Darrell. "Newest Air Force planes grounded." Times-News, 17 January 1970. Due to the C-5's troubled development, the Department of Defense abandoned Total Package Procurement.Nalty 2003, pp. 192-193. In 1969 Henry Durham raised concerns about the C-5 production process with Lockheed, his employer; subsequently Durham was transferred and subjected to abuse until he resigned. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) substantiated some of his charges against Lockheed; later the American Ethical Union honored Durham with the Elliott-Black Award."A Whistle-blower on the C-5A Gets a New Life." People Magazine, 15 July 1974. Upon completion of testing in December 1969, the first C-5A was transferred to the Transitional Training Unit at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Lockheed delivered the first operational Galaxy to the 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, SC, in June 1970. Due to higher than expected development costs, in 1970 there were public calls for the government to split the substantial losses that Lockheed were experiencing."General asks U.S. to share Lockheed loss." Spokane Daily Chronicle, 29 June 1970. Production was nearly brought to a halt in 1971 due to Lockheed going through financial difficulties, partly down to the C-5 Galaxy's development but also a civilian jet liner, the Lockheed L-1011."New Life for TriStar." Time, 17 May 1971. Retrieved: 6 January 2007. The U.S. government gave loans to Lockheed to keep the company operational.Aspin, Les. "The Lockheed Loan revisited." The New York Times, 29 August 1972. In the early 1970s, NASA considered the C-5 for the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft role, to transport the Space Shuttle to Kennedy Space Center. However, they rejected it in favor of the Boeing 747, in part due to the 747's low-wing design.Miles, Marvin. "Jumbo Jet will ferry Space Shuttle Piggyback across U.S." Los Angeles Times, 19 June 1974. In contrast, the Soviet Union chose to transport its shuttles using the high-winged An-225,Goebel, Greg. "Antonov An-225 Mriya ("Cossack")." The Antonov Giants: An-22, An-124, & An-225. vectorsite.net, 1 November 2009. Retrieved: 18 June 2006. which derives from the An-124, which is similar in design and function to the C-5. During static and fatigue testing cracks were noticed in the wings of several aircraft, and as a consequence the C-5A fleet was restricted to 80% of maximum design loads. To reduce wing loading, load alleviation systems were added to the aircraft.Norton 2003, pp. 31–36. By 1980, payloads were restricted to as low as 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) for general cargo during peacetime operations. A $1.5 billion program, known as H-Mod,National Research Council 1997, p. 90. to re-wing the 76 completed C-5As to restore full payload capability and service life began in 1976.Finney, John W. "C-5A jet repairs to cost 1.5 billion; Pentagon outs outlay to fix Wing Defects at 1.3 Billion as 'Overruns' continue." The New York Times, 15 December 1975.Coates, James. "Disputed C-5 jet gets Pentagon nod." Chicago Tribune, 21 January 1982. After design and testing of the new wing design, the C-5As received their new wings from 1980 to 1987.Norton 2003, pp. 53–56. During 1976, numerous cracks were also found in the fuselage along the upper fuselage on the centerline, aft of the refueling port, extending back to the wing. The cracks required a redesign to the hydraulic system for the visor, the front cargo entry point. Continued production and development In 1974, Iran, then holding good relations with the United States, offered $160 million to restart C-5 production to enable Iran to purchase aircraft for their own air force;"Iran may fund new production of Lockheed C-5." Los Angeles Times, 8 May 1974.Wright, Robert A. "Lockheed considers Textron merger; Profitable division Iranian offer is reported." The New York Times, 8 May 1974. in a similar climate as to their acquisition of F-14 Tomcat fighters.Marder, Murray. "Oil pact with U.S. firm: Iran signs agreement." Victoria Advocate, 26 July 1973. However no C-5 aircraft were ever ordered by Iran, as the prospect was firmly halted by the Iranian Revolution in 1979."Vital US military technology has been lost to new Iranian regime." Lewiston Evening Journal, 16 February 1979."U.S. cuts off plane parts to Iran." Chicago Tribune, 9 November 1979. As part of President Ronald Reagan's military policy, funding was made available for expansion of the USAF's airlift capability; however as the C-17 program was still some years from completion a new version of the C-5, the C-5B, was approved by Congress in July 1982 for purchase instead.Storer, Rowley. "House gives Reagan victories on MX, C-5." Chicago Tribune, 22 July 1982."U.S. Air Force wants to double Airlift capacity." Times Daily, 27 January 1982.Nalty 2003, p. 367. The first C-5B was delivered to Altus Air Force Base in January 1986. In April 1989, the last of 50 C-5B aircraft was added to the 77 C-5As in the Air Force's airlift force structure. The C-5B includes all C-5A improvements and numerous additional system modifications to improve reliability and maintainability.Norton 2003, pp. 56–58. In 1998, the Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) began upgrading the C-5's avionics to include a glass cockpit, navigation equipment, and a new autopilot system.Schanz, Marc V., Assoc. Editor. "Life with the C-5." Air Force Magazine, Volume 90, Issue 6, June 2007, pp. 59–60. . Another part of the C-5 modernization effort is the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP). The program will mainly replace the engines with newer, more powerful ones. Three C-5s underwent RERP as a test with full production in May 2008.Tirpak, John A. "Saving the Galaxy." Air Force Magazine, January 2004. A total of 52 C-5s are contracted to be modernized, consisting of 49 B-, two C- and one A-model aircraft through the Reliability Enhancement and Re-Engining Program (RERP). Over 70 changes and upgrades are incorporated in the program, including the newer General Electric engines. Five C-5M Super Galaxies have been produced."Lockheed Martin Delivers Second Production C-5M Super Galaxy To U.S. Air Force" Lockheed Martin Press Release, 12 April 2011. The RERP upgrade program is to be completed in 2016.Trimble, Stephen. "Lockheed Martin inducts first C-5B for C-5M modifications." Flight International, 21 August 2009. Design Overview The C-5 is a large high-wing cargo aircraft. It has a distinctive high T-tail, 25 degree wing sweep, and four TF39 turbofan engines mounted on pylons beneath the wings. The C-5 is similar in layout to its smaller predecessor, the C-141 Starlifter. The C-5 has 12 internal wing tanks and is equipped for aerial refueling. It has both nose and aft doors for "drive-through" loading and unloading of cargo."C-5 design." Globalsecurity.org, 20 January 2010. The C-5 is also known as FRED (fucking, sometimes written as "fantastic", ridiculous, economic/environmental disaster)Lippincott 2006, p. 4. by its crews due to its maintenance/reliability issues and large consumption of fuel. It has an upper deck seating area for 73 passengers and 2 loadmasters. The passengers face the rear of the aircraft, rather than forward. Its takeoff and landing distances, at maximum gross weight, are 8,300 ft (2,500 m) and 4,900 ft (1,500 m) respectively. Its high flotation main landing gear has 28 wheels to share the weight. The rear main landing gear is steerable for a smaller turning radius and it rotates 90 degrees horizontally before it is retracted after takeoff. The "kneeling" landing gear system permits lowering of the parked aircraft so the cargo floor is at truck-bed height to facilitate vehicle loading and unloading.Air International February 1984, p. 63. The C-5 has a Malfunction Detection Analysis and Recording (MADAR) system to identify errors throughout the aircraft. Some Galaxies have a Low Pressure Pneumatic System (LPPS) that utilizes a turbo compressor driven by bleed air to provide up to 150 psi pressure for inflating the aircraft's tires. One of the unique features of the aircraft is the crosswind landing system that allows the landing gear to be offset up to 20 degrees either side of centerline; when the main landing gear was down (MLG) all the other 28 wheels would be slaved to the MLG and driven by hydraulic actuators to the same offset. The C-5 features a cargo compartment 121 ft (37 m) long, 13.5 ft (4.1 m) high, and 19 ft (5.8 m) wide, or just over 31,000 cu ft (880 m3). The compartment can accommodate up to 36 463L master pallets or a mix of palletized cargo and vehicles. The cargo hold of the C-5 is a foot longer than the entire length of the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk."The Five First Flights." thewrightbrothers.org, 23 July 2008. The nose and aft doors open the full width and height of the cargo compartment to permit faster and easier loading. Ramps are full width at each end for loading double rows of vehicles. The Galaxy is capable of carrying nearly every type of the Army's combat equipment, including bulky items such as the 74 short tons (67 t) armored vehicle launched bridge (AVLB), from the United States to any location on the globe. A C-5 is capable of transporting up to six Boeing AH-64 Apaches or five Bradley Fighting Vehicles.Congressional Budget Office 1986, p. 46. Operational history The first C-5A was delivered to the USAF on 17 December 1969. Wings were built up in the early 1970s at Altus AFB, Oklahoma, Charleston AFB, Dover AFB, Delaware, and Travis AFB, California. The C-5's first mission was on 9 July 1970, in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.Coughlin, William J. "C-5A in first S. Viet flight." Los Angeles Times, 10 July 1970. C-5s were used to transport equipment and troops, including Army tanks and even some small aircraft, throughout the later years of the US action in Vietnam.Norton 2003, pp. 43–44. In the final weeks of the war, prior to the Fall of Saigon, several C-5s were involved in evacuation efforts; during one such mission a C-5A crashed while transporting a large number of orphans. C-5s have also been used to deliver support and reinforce various US allies over the years. During the Yom Kippur war in 1973, multiple C-5s and C-141 Starlifters delivered critical supplies of ammunition, replacement weaponry and other forms of aid to Israel, the US effort was named as Operation Nickel Grass.Norton 2003, pp. 45–46.Dunstan 2007, pp. 56, 88. The C-5 Galaxy's performance in Israel was such that the Pentagon began to consider further purchases."C-5 Performance in Israel may spur Pentagon to order more." Los Angeles Times, 9 November 1973. The C-5 was regularly made available to support American allies, such as the British-led peacekeeper initiative in Zimbabwe in 1979."U.S. Cargo Jets to play Zimbabwe role." Los Angeles Times, 7 December 1979, On 24 October 1974, the Space and Missile Systems Organization successfully conducted a Air Mobile Feasibility Test where a C-5A Galaxy aircraft air dropped a 86,000 lb Minuteman ICBM from 20,000 ft over the Pacific Ocean. The missile descended to 8,000 ft before its rocket engine fired. The 10-second engine burn carried the missile to 20,000 ft again before it dropped into the ocean. The test proved the feasibility of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile from the air. Operational deployment was discarded due to engineering and security difficulties, though the capability was used as a negotiating point in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. "Thursday, January 01, 1970 – Sunday, December 31, 1989." U.S. Air Force, Inside the AF.MIL Heritage section.''Marti and Sarigul-Klijn, A Study of Air Launch Methods for RLVs. Doc No. AIAA 2001-4619, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Dept, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 The C-5 has been used for several unusual functions; during the development of the secretive stealth fighter, the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, Galaxies were often used to carry partly disassembled aircraft, leaving no exterior signs as to their cargo.Jenkins 2001, p. 84. It remains the largest aircraft to ever operate in the Antarctic;Dole, Ronald D. "Six Months "On Ice": Living And Working At The Bottom Of The World." ''KA1EFO . Retrieved: 23 August 2011. Williams Field near McMurdo Station is capable of handling C-5 aircraft, the first of which landed there in 1989."Runway Project Clears the Way for Improved Antarctic Airlift." National Science Foundation, 20 February 2002. Retrieved: 20 January 2007. The C-5 Galaxy was a major supply asset in the 1991 international coalition operations against Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, known as the First Gulf War.Evans, David. "The Gulf airlift has moved only the tip of the spear." Chicago Tribune, 24 August 1990.Brenner, Elliot. "Massive airlift, sealift equals moving a town." Daily Gazette, 22 August 1990.Chant 2001, p. 47. C-5s have routinely delivered relief aid and humanitarian supplies to areas afflicted with natural disasters or crisis, multiple flights were made over Rwanda in 1994.Plunkett, A.J. "More troops leave on Rwandan mission." Daily Press, 4 August 1994. The wings on the C-5As were replaced during the 1980s to restore full design capability. The USAF took delivery of the first C-5B on 28 December 1985 and the final one in April 1989.Norton 2003, p. 58. The reliability of the C-5 fleet has been a continued issue throughout its lifetime,Leary, William M. "Strategic Airlift: Past, Present, and Future." Air University Review, September–October 1986.Anderson, Brian H. "The Mobility Traid and Challenges for the Operational Commander," Naval War College Newport, 5 February 1999, p. 8. however the C-5M upgrade program seeks in part to address this issue. Their strategic airlift capacity has been a key logistical component of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq; following an incident during Operation Iraqi Freedom where one C-5 was damaged by a projectile, the installation of defensive systems has become a stated priority.Government Accountability Office 2006, pp. 125-156. The C-5 AMP and RERP modernization programs plan to raise mission-capable rate to a minimum goal of 75%. Over the next 40 years, the U.S. Air Force estimates the C-5M will save over $20 billion.McGowan, Laura. "C-5 still going strong." US Air Force, 21 June 2006. The first C-5M conversion was completed on 16 May 2006; C-5Ms began test flights at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in June 2006. The USAF decided to convert remaining C-5Bs and C-5Cs into C-5Ms with avionics upgrades and re-engining in February 2008.Warick, Graham. "Pentagon cancels re-engining of USAF's older Lockheed C-5s." Flightglobal.com, 15 February 2008. The C-5As will receive only the avionics upgrades."Air Force C-5 Galaxy modernization program certified." US Air Force, 15 February 2008. In response to Air Force motions towards the retirement of the C-5 Galaxy, Congress implemented legislation that placed set limits upon retirement plans for C-5A models in 2003.Weinberger, Sharon. "Congress Moves To Limit C-5A Retirement." Defense Daily, 14 November 2003. By 2005, 14 C-5As were retired."C5A gets qualified nod from Air Force board." Macon Telegraph, 30 July 2004.Jablonski, David A. "Air Force Fleet Viability Board releases C-5A assessment." Air Force Print News, 15 July 2004. One was sent to the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC) for tear down and inspection to evaluate structural integrity and estimate the remaining life for the fleet. 13 C-5As were sent to the Air Force's Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) for inspection of levels of corrosion and fatigue."C-5 Galaxy page." The AMARC Experience, 19 January 2010. The U.S. Air Force began to receive refitted C-5M aircraft in December 2008;Trimble, Stephen. "Lockheed delivers first upgraded C-5M Super Galaxy." ''Flight International, 11 December 2008. full production of C-5Ms began in the summer of 2009."Lockheed Martin delivers third C-5M Super Galaxy to United States Air Force." Bloomberg, 27 February 2009. In 2009, the Congressional ban on the retirement of C-5s was overturned.Trimble, Stephen. "More C-17 sales possible after C-5A retirement ban lifted." Flight International, 11 September 2009. The Air Force seeks to retire one C-5A for each 10 new C-17s ordered.Rolfsen, Bruce, "C-5A swap for new C-17s has hitch." Air Force Times, 12 January 2010. In October 2011, the 445th Airlift Wing based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base retired or reassigned all of its remaining C-5s; it has since reequipped with C-17s."445th C-5 era comes to an end" 445th Airlift Wing Public Affairs, 4 October 2011. In early February 2012, it was announced that the remaining 27 C-5As at Kelly Field, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; and Martinsburg, West Virginia would be retired in fiscal years 2013 and 2014. Kelly is to receive C-5Ms currently assigned to Westover, Massachusetts and the other two wings are scheduled to receive C-17s. On 13 September 2009, a C-5M set 41 new records; flight data was submitted to the National Aeronautic Association for formal recognition. The C-5M had carried a payload of 176,610 lb (80,110 kg) to over 41,100 ft (12,500 m) in 23 minutes, 59 seconds. Additionally, 33 time to climb records at various payload classes were set, and the world record for greatest payload to 6,562 ft (2,000 m) was broken. The aircraft was in the category of 551,160 to 661,390 lb (250,000 to 300,000 kg) with a takeoff weight of 649,680 lb (294,690 kg) including payload, fuel, and other equipment."Lockheed Martin C-5M Super Galaxy Sets World Aviation Records." Lockheed Martin, 15 September 2009. Variants C-5A The C-5A is the original version of the C-5. From 1969 to 1973, 81 C-5As were delivered to U.S. Air Forces bases. Due to cracks found in the wings in the mid-1970s, the cargo weight was restricted. To restore the C-5's full capability, the wing structure was redesigned. A program to install new strengthened wings on 77 C-5As was conducted from 1981 to 1987. The redesigned wing made use of a new aluminum alloy that did not exist during the original production."C-5A." GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved: 21 January 2010. C-5B The C-5B is an improved version of the C-5A. It incorporated all modifications and improvements made to the C-5A with improved wings, simplified landing gear, upgraded TF-39-GE-1C turbofan engines and updated avionics. From 1986 to 1989, 50 of the new variant were delivered to the U.S. Air Force."C-5B." GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved: 21 January 2010.Miller 2003, p. 53. C-5C The C-5C is a specially modified variant for transporting large cargo. Two C-5s (68-0213 and 68-0216) were modified to have a larger internal cargo capacity to accommodate large payloads, such as satellites for use by NASA. The major modifications were the removal of the rear passenger compartment floor, splitting the rear cargo door in the middle, and installing a new movable aft bulkhead further to the rear.Norton 2003, pp. 62, 78. The official C-5 technical manual refers to the version as C-5A(SCM) Space Cargo Modification. Modifications also included adding a second inlet for ground power, which can feed any power-dependent equipment that may form part of the cargo. The two C-5Cs are operated by U.S. Air Force crews on the behalf of NASA, and are stationed at Travis AFB, California. 68-0216 completed the Avionics Modernization Program in January 2007."C-5C." GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved: 21 January 2010. C-5M Super Galaxy Following a study showing 80% of the C-5 airframe service life remaining, AMC began an aggressive program to modernize all remaining C-5Bs and C-5Cs and many of the C-5As. The C-5 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) began in 1998 and includes upgrading avionics to Global Air Traffic Management compliance, improving communications, new flat panel displays, improving navigation and safety equipment, and installing a new autopilot system. The first flight of a C-5 with AMP (85-0004) occurred on 21 December 2002."First Flight For AMP C-5." Code One Magazine, April 2003. Another component is the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP), which includes new General Electric F138-GE-100 (CF6-80C2) engines, pylons and auxiliary power units, upgrades to aircraft skin and frame, landing gear, cockpit and pressurization systems.Hooker, John R., David L. Hoyle and Dwayne N. Bevis. "The Application of CFD for the Aerodynamic Development of the C-5M Galaxy." American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, January 2006. The CF6 engine produces 22% more thrust (for 50,000 lbf/220 kN) from each engine,"C-5 modernization program." Lockheed Martin. Retrieved 21 January 2010. providing a 30% shorter takeoff, a 38% higher climb rate to initial altitude, an increased cargo load and a longer range."Lockheed Martin C-5M 'Super Galaxy' Expands U.S. Air Force 'Global Reach' Capability at Lower Cost." Lockheed Martin, 16 May 2006. Upgraded C-5s are designated C-5M Super Galaxy."Second C-5M Super Galaxy takes flight." US Air Force, 20 November 2006. L-500 Lockheed also planned a civilian version of the C-5 Galaxy, the L-500, the company designation also used for the C-5 itself. Both passenger and cargo versions of the L-500 were designed. The all-passenger version would have been able to carry up to 1,000 travelers, while the all-cargo version was predicted to be able to carry typical C-5 volume for as little as 2 cents per ton-mile (in 1967 dollars)."Aircraft: The Biggest Bird." TIME, 12 July 1968. Although some interest was expressed by carriers, no orders were placed for either L-500 version, due to operational costs caused by low fuel efficiency, a significant concern for a profit-making carrier, even before the oil crisis of the 1970s, keen competition from Boeing's 747, and high costs incurred by Lockheed in developing the C-5 and later, the L-1011 which led to the governmental rescue of the company."Lockheed L-500 Galaxy proposed UAL colors, c. 1968." doraplane.com. Retrieved: 3 January 2011. Operators Unlike its Soviet (Ukrainian) counterpart, the civilian and military-operated Antonov An-124 Ruslan or An-225 Mriya, use of the C-5 is confined entirely to the military and government. *60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base, California **22nd Airlift Squadron *105th Airlift Wing, (ANG), Stewart ANGB, New York **137th Airlift Squadron *164th Airlift Wing, (ANG), Memphis International Airport, Tennessee"TennANG 164th Airlift Wing." Tennessee Air National Guard. **155th Airlift Squadron *167th Airlift Wing, (ANG), Martinsburg, West Virginia **167th Airlift Squadron *349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base, California **312th Airlift Squadron *433rd Airlift Wing, (AFRC) Lackland Air Force Base, Texas **68th Airlift Squadron **356th Airlift Squadron *436th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware **9th Airlift Squadron *439th Airlift Wing, (AFRC) Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts **337th Airlift Squadron *512th Airlift Wing, (AFRC) Dover Air Force Base, Delaware **709th Airlift Squadron *USAF operates 2 C-5Cs for NASA. Incidents and accidents There have been five C-5 Galaxy aircraft lost in crashes along with two class-A losses resulting from ground fire and one loss resulting from damage sustained on the ground, with a total of 169 fatalities. There have been at least two other C-5 crashes that resulted in major airframe damage, but the aircraft were repaired and returned to service. Notable accidents * On 27 May 1970, C-5A serial number 67-0172 was destroyed during a ground fire at Palmdale, California after an Air Turbine Motor (ATM) started backwards and quickly overheated, setting the hydraulic system on fire and quickly consuming the aircraft. The engines were not running at the time of the fire. Five crew escaped, but seven firefighters suffered minor injuries fighting the blaze.San Bernardino Sun, 28 May 1970."C-5 crash doesn’t diminish historian’s view of aircraft." US Air Force, 4 April 2006. * On 17 October 1970, C-5A S/N 66-8303 was destroyed during a ground fire at Marietta, Georgia. The fire started during maintenance in one of the aircraft's 12 fuel cells. One worker was killed and another injured. This was the first C-5 aircraft produced. * On 27 September 1974, C-5A 68-0227 crashed after over-running the runway at Clinton, Oklahoma Municipal Airport during an emergency landing following a serious landing gear fire. The crew mistakenly aligned the aircraft for the visual approach into the wrong airport, landing at Clinton Municipal Airport, which has a 4,400 ft (1,300 m) runway—instead of Clinton-Sherman airfield, which has a 13,500 ft (4,100 m) runway. This was the first operational loss of a C-5 Galaxy. * On 4 April 1975, C-5A 68-0218 crashed while carrying orphans out of Vietnam (Operation Baby Lift). This crash, known as the Tan Son Nhut C-5 accident, is one of the most well known C-5 accidents to date."Portrait of tragedy." Evening Independent, 4 April 1975. The crash occurred while trying to make an emergency landing at Tan Son Nhut Air Base Saigon, following a door lock failure in flight. 144 adults and children (including 76 babies) were killed out of the 305 aboard (243 children, 44 escorts, 16 crewmen and two flight nurses)."305 aboard giant craft; 100 survive." Boca Raton News, 4 April 1975. Use of the C-5 was heavily restricted for several months due to this high profile incident."Airforce imposes curbs on C-5 use." The New York Times, 12 April 1975. * On 31 July 1983, C-5A 70-0446 crashed on landing at Shemya, Alaska. The C-5 approached below the glide slope, hit an embankment short of the runway and bounced back into the air before coming to rest on the runway. Structural damage was extensive and the two aft main landing gear bogies were sheared from the aircraft. There were no fatalities. A joint USAF/Lockheed team made repairs enabling a one-time ferry flight from Shemya to the Lockheed plant in Marietta, Georgia. There, the aircraft was quickly christened Phoenix II and permanent repair efforts got underway. In addition to the structural repairs, Phoenix II also received an improved landing gear system (common to the then-new C-5B), wing modification, and a color weather radar upgrade. The aircraft was returned to service, and was transferred to the Texas Air National Guard.Lippincott 2006, p. 35. * In July 1985, C-5A 68-0216 landed wheels (gear) up at Travis Air Force Base, California. There were no injuries. The accident occurred while the crew was performing touch-and-go landings, and did not lower the landing gear during the final approach of the day. The aircraft received significant damage to the lower fuselage and main landing gear pods. The C-5A was later flown to Marietta for repairs. While there, the aircraft was selected to be the first C-5A converted to the C-5C configuration.Lippincott 2006, p. 28. * On 29 August 1990, C-5A 68-0228 crashed following an engine failure shortly after take-off. The aircraft took off from Ramstein Air Base in Germany in support of Operation Desert Shield. It was flown by a nine-member reserve crew from the 68th Airlift Squadron, 433rd Airlift Wing based at Kelly AFB, Texas."San Antonio air base mourns reservists killed in C-5 crash." Austin American-Statesman, 30 August 1990. As the aircraft started to climb off the runway, one of the thrust reverser]]s suddenly deployed. This resulted in loss of control of the aircraft and the subsequent crash. Of the 17 people on board, only four survived the crash."U.S. plane crashes, killing 13." Deseret News, 29 August 1990. All four were in the rear troop compartment. The sole crew member to survive, Staff Sgt. Lorenzo Galvan, Jr., was awarded the Airman's Medal for his actions in evacuating the survivors from the wreckage. * On 3 April 2006, C-5B 84-0059 crashed following a cockpit indication that a thrust reverser was not locked. The C-5B assigned to the 436th Airlift Wing and flown by a reserve crew from the 709th Airlift Squadron, 512th Airlift Wing crashed about 2,000 ft (610 m) short of the runway while attempting a heavyweight emergency landing at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. The aircraft had taken off from Dover 21 minutes earlier and reported an in-flight emergency 10 minutes into the flight. All 17 people aboard survived, but two received serious injures. The Air Force's accident investigation board report concluded the cause to be human error, most notably the crew had been manipulating the throttle of the (dead) number two engine as if it was still running while keeping the the (live) number three engine at idle. The situation was further worsened by the crew's decision to use a high flap setting that increased drag beyond normal two engine capabilities."C-5 accident investigation board complete." US Air Force, 13 June 2006. The airframe was scrapped, but the forward fuselage became a C-5 AMP avionics test bed.Langley, N."Gone with the wings: C-5 removal process in full swing." US Air Force, 19 January 2007."USAF Crash Investigation Video." youtube.com. This incident led to a redesign of the cockpit engine displays, particularly the visual indicators of a non-active engine."Pilot Performance Based Selection of Engine Display Features." Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, September 2010 vol. 54 no. 1, 65-69. Specifications (C-5B) References ;Notes ;Bibliography * Aging of U.S. Air Force Aircraft: Final Report. Washington, D.C.: National Research Council, National Academies, 1997. * Bakse, Colin. [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=C04zANFFmzgC&printsec=frontcover Airlift Tanker: History of U.S. Airlift and Tanker Forces.] New York: Turner Publishing, 1995. ISBN 1-563-11125-X. * Chant, Christopher. Air War in the Gulf 1991. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-841-76295-4. * Dunstan, Simon. The Yom Kippur War: the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2007. ISBN 1-846-03288-1. * "The Giants of Georgia". Air International, Vol. 26, No. 2, February 1984, pp. 61–68, 87–90. . * Government Accountability Office. Military Readiness: Dod Needs to Identify and Address Gaps and Potential Risks in Programstrategies and Funding Priorities for Selected Equipment. Darby, Pennsylvania: DIANE Publishing, 2006. ISBN 1-422-30444-2. * [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GWPeCUdo8iwC&printsec=frontcover Improving Strategic Mobility: The C-17 Program and Alternatives.] Washington, D.C.: Congressional Budget Office, United States Congress, September 1986. ISBN 1-437-90071-2. * Irving, Clive. Wide Body: The Triumph of the 747. New York: W. Morrow, 1993. ISBN 0-688-09902-5. * Jenkins, Dannis J. Lockheed Secret Projects: Inside the Skunk Works. St. Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 2001. ISBN 0-76030-914-0. * Miller, David. Conflict Iraq: Weapons and Tactics of the US and Iraqi Forces. St. Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 2003. ISBN 0-760-31592-2. * Nalty, Bernard C. Winged Shield, Winged Sword 1950-1997: A History of the United States Air Force. Minerva Group, 2003. ISBN 1-410-20902-4. * Lippincott, Richard. C-5 Galaxy in Action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 2006. ISBN 0-89747-504-6. * Norton, Bill. Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2003. ISBN 1-58007-061-2. * Philips, Warren F. Mechanics of Flight. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, 2004. ISBN 0-47133-458-8. * Reed, Chris. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-76431-205-7. * Tillman, Barrett. [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=v6VpE_jCzecC&printsec=frontcover What We Need: Extravagance and Shortages in America's Military.] Zenith Imprint, 2007. ISBN -076032-869-2. * Veronico, Nick and Jim Dunn. 21st Century U.S. Air Power. St. Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 2004. ISBN 0-76032-014-4. External links * C-5 Galaxy U.S. Air Force fact sheet * C-5M page on LockheedMartin.com * C-5 Galaxy page on GlobalSecurity.org * C-5 Galaxy U.S. Air Force history page * C-5 Galaxy and Starlifter page * C-5 Galaxy page on Air-Attack.com * "Fatigue and Related Human Factors in the Near Crash of a Large Military Aircraft". Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, Volume 77, Number 9, September 2006, pp. 963–970. Category:Gulf War aircraft C-005 Galaxy C-005 Galaxy, Lockheed Category:Military aircraft of the Vietnam War Category:1970 introductions Category:Quadjets Category:Gulf War aircraft C-005 Galaxy C-005 Galaxy, Lockheed Category:Military aircraft of the Vietnam War Category:1970 introductions Category:Quadjets